Friday, August 26, 2005

Squalor in New Hampshire

This picture depicts why I am not (and could not be) a full-fledged Libertarian. There has to be some rule of law and government intervention...not all Americans are sane, upstanding and rational. In New Hampshire there are no laws that restrict someone from "living in squalor".

Andover Chief Laramie said the Constitution's Fourth Amendment protects against "unreasonable" searches of someone's home. "We can't just go to somebody's house and inspect it," he said."You have security in your own home. If we didn't have that, we could be sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner and someone could say OK, there are too many dogs in this house.""This is America, and your home is your castle." (source)

NH has recently intervened in two cases (one with a house in which the family was living amidst garbage and the excrement from 57 animals, including dogs, pigs, goats and fowl...but he judge probably wouldn't have acted if there hadn't been children involved). I am 100% against the practice of Eminent Domain and a person should be able to do as they wish within the walls of their home. BUT when that lifestyle (or the smell of it) spills into the air that I breathe --or devalues my investment...there has to be recourse.